First Impressions
by TheBeautifulLie
Summary: Steele Summer's ideal life is interrupted by a chaotic mess of a boy who he has irrevocably decided does not belong in his world.
1. Irrevocable Opinion

Steele Summers was ready for another normal day of school. He was prepared for all his classes to run their normal scheduled length of time; for the school day to end on time. And to go home right at 3:15 just like any other day after exchanging his books in his locker. So when Steele sat down at his desk that cold November morning he was not prepared for the teacher to deviate from that plan first thing.

"Class I expect you to welcome Balto Salvatore nicely." The teacher smiled brightly.

"Nice to meet you." The junior high class droned the greeting with as much enthusiasm as being told they were going to have a pop quiz.

"Nice to meet you." A soft meek but still masculine voice responded back.

Steele who up until now hadn't bothered to look up found his eyes drawn to the source of that unassuming voice. It belonged to possibly the sloppiest and gawkiest but well-dressed male Steele had ever seen. The boy who'd been identified as "Balto" for all his awkward gangliness looked more like he belonged in with the freshmen class not the juniors.

Balto looked all wrong standing there in the front of the class. His hair was a "hot mess" as Steele's friend Jenna would say. Chunks of the bizarre blond brown dirt colored mess stuck up at weird angles looking in all its glory like completely natural bedhead. No styling whatsoever. It flipped out around Balto's ears but did not distract from Balto's bright golden eyes or his very tan skin. Balto's school uniform was a disaster; the uniforms sharp straight lines were a tangled wreck of wrinkles and unsightly bunches at odd places. The buttons of his shirt were all mercifully buttoned correctly but the shirt was draped on his lanky form in such a way that made the buttons look uneven and wrong. His half-hearted attempt to tuck in his shirt pulled it violently to one side of his body and did not help the shirt lay right nor did his slouching. His school issued dress pants looked two sizes too big and were being held on by a black and white checkered belt. Sneakers with one shoe tied properly finished the disorganized look.

Steele could hear the growing whispers and giggles from his classmates at Balto's unfortunate appearance. Balto blushed deeply and tucked his head down as he shifted uncomfortably looking like he'd give anything in the world not to be at the front of the class.

_Just tell him where the hell to sit. _Steele snapped in his mind at the slow moving teacher who seemed oblivious to Balto's growing discomfort and the ever shortening time. Impatient to start the damn class so it could be finished on time Steele glared at the clock. No reason a scrappy misfit kid should hold them up. If there was one thing Steele valued it was order and efficacy. There would be time enough later for idle gossip and forced pleasantries after class. Right now was the scheduled time for math.

"Why don't you go sit by Kaltag." The teacher gestured to the empty seat by Kaltag giving Balto a small push in the right direction.

Nikki leaned forward form his seat behind Steele, he shifted as he waited until Balto walked right by them to sneer. "That kids gotta be a mutt, no way a pureblood would let their kid come _here_ looking like _that_."

Balto flinched and looked away quickly on his way by, shuffling along faster to get away as soon as possible looking like he was physically trying to flee the hurtful words. Seemed like Balto knew just as much as everyone else in the room how poorly he fit in and how much he did not belong there Steele mused.

The teacher tried in vain to regain the attention of the class, but could only manage to keep the whispering to a dull mummer. Everyone's undivided attention was given to the new boy. Balto visibly wilted from the undisguised scrutiny. Steele felt vaguely unsettled for the unrefined looking boy which was as close to sympathy as Steele ever got. Steele almost felt bad for the incompetent teacher. Almost; the emotion was ruined by his irritation at said teacher.

The teacher finally managed to get the class in some sort of controlled chaos and Steele was content to not think of the new boy again. Steele focused on the math problems set out for them by the teacher and was reasonably happy when the class ended only four minutes late. Steele packed up his things and proceeded to go to the next thing without so-much as a backward glance. Steele began mentally preparing himself for chemistry and ran over some of the practice questions in his head. He was so involved in his thoughts that he would've missed his friends' presence altogether if Star hadn't grabbed his arm.

"Hey Steele! I'm talking to you!" Star announced loudly his voice easily carrying over the noise of the crowded hallway. Steele made a futile effort to shake off Star's hand. "Nikki said you guys had a new kid in your class, said the kid looked like a mix blood."

Steele mentally sighed and rolled his eyes of course Star would know all about the new student and would be digging around to find out more. Leave it to Star to gather all the information possible so he could aggressively corner the new person with overwhelming kindness all in the name of friendship. At least Star wouldn't care about blueblood or not. Steele did have to agree with Nikki on that, for all his abrasiveness Nikki had a point, no blueblood would let their kid come to this school looking like that. The kid was green.

"I heard his last name was Salvatore which means his dad owns like half this school!" Star nearly squealed. "Can you imagine? No one even knew Nava Salvatore had a son."

Steele let the information slide in one ear and out the other. It was not relevant to his day or life for that matter why should he care about some boy.

"Did you talk to Dixie?" Steele supplied in an automatic response. He did not feel like listening to idle chatter and speculation about Balto's heritage; although his relation to The Mr. Salvatore who was on the school board and regularly donated supplies and cash to the school was noteworthy. Everything else Steele had noticed about the boy made him look like an open and closed case, and one easily written off at that.

"Dixie's still gathering intel and told me to come ask you what you knew." Star cheerfully replied all too eager to ignore Steele's obvious brush off.

"I don't have anything for you. He's new, he's chaos walking, and he's awkward." Steele said as he reached his next class. He walked in without saying goodbye to Star leaving the boy to find his own way from there. He sat down in his assigned seat and pulled out his books and supplies. One minute till the bell rang and four minutes before the class was supposed to start. As the room filled up around him Steele went over his answers. He had no one in the class he felt like talking to and was anxious to get chemistry over for the day.

Balto was the last student to make it to the class. He peeked his head around the corner before entering quickly and as unobtrusively as possible he hunched forward trying to look as small as he could. His rather large feet making his actions futile as he stumbled over them in his haste. Steele flicked his shaggy hair out of his face as he unabashedly watched Balto make a mess of himself on his way to his seat. Steele felt that unsettled feeling that was getting suspiciously more and more like pity in his gut. He deliberately looked away before he heard Balto crash to the floor taking at least one chair with him. If nothing else could be said for Balto he at least knew how to make a scene. Steele in an act of benevolence ignored the clatter and drew attention to the freshly arrived teacher asking about some irrelevant assignment or other that had all the class glaring daggers at him for mentioning it. Let it not be said that Steele was above acts of charity.

The rest of the class passed without further excitement. Balto was still very much the center of stolen attention but the class was a more demanding then the first and prevented from too much verbal contemplation. Steele found his attention wondering from the teacher and class on hand and more towards the boy at the back of the room. Steele tried to ignoring the fleeting thoughts in his mind concerning the boy hoping they proved to be more than a passing fancy of curiosity. Balto should not be here, in this school, that much was clear. Trying to fathom the reason behind his appearance was more time consuming then Steele had previously given it credit for. The second class of the day ended on time the bell jarred Steele from his thoughts startling him to realize he passed the class in its entirety thinking of the nothing more than the strange boy. Balto's general appearance was so much different than Steele's own. Steele was a pure blueblood with uninterrupted lines. He kept himself orderly and neat at all times. He had straight, shaggy midnight black hair, icy cold blue eyes and was naturally pale. He stood tall at all times and had an innate arrogance that humbled itself for no one. It was undisputable that Steele was every inch a blueblood prince.

The third period followed the progression of the first two. By lunch Steele could no longer deny he was interested in hearing what Dixie had to say about the boy. Steele proceeded to follow his normal routine he got his food and made his way over to the table where his friends usually sat. Kaltag, Jenna and Sylvie were already seated and causally conversing with one another.

Kaltag was blond with brown eyes and freckles; had an athletic build and had a rather large mouth. Jenna had long naturally red hair the color of rust and was slender. Sylvie had a voluptuous amount of platinum blond hair and was curvier than Jenna with a more athletic twist. The girls were quiet enamored with Balto and were discussing him quiet avidly as Steele walked up.

"I heard he isn't even officially Mr. Salvatore's heir." Sylvie announced quiet scandalized; her big brown eyes darting around covertly.

"Jamie said he was a sweety but a bit clumsy." Jenna said with empathy. "It must be hard coming to a new school 3 months late. I wonder where he came from."

Steele seated himself at the table and organized his lunch. He listened carefully to what was happening around him while looking around the cafeteria looking for Balto without making it look like he was looking for him. He hadn't seen the boy in the hallway or in line and was curious as to where the boy had ended up.

Steele's wondering gaze got cut short as Dixie pranced up to him with Star and Nikki in tow. Dixie was short and plump in a pleasing sort of way, or at least that's what Kaltag and Nikki said anyway. Steele found her to be rather annoying. Her blond hair was frosted with purple and cut in a pixie cut her uniform looked a little small for her round body and popped out in certain "womenly" places. Star had his hair spiked up in a way that flirted with the schools carefully worded guide lines. Star's body bordered on anoxia, not that he couldn't eat his weight in doughnuts and pizza, it didn't help he was so pale. Nikki was bulky and a little over what was considered the healthy bodyweight. He kept his brown hair cut short, walked around with a perpetual scowl and was known to be as grouchy as he looked.

Dixie inserted herself has close as she could to Steele without seriously infringing on his personal space. It was still too close for Steele's comfort. Star shoved himself next to Dixie trying to capture her attention. Nikki went to sit on the other side of the table by Kaltag, Jenna and Sylvie. As Dixie settled in next to Steele he took the opportunity to scan the area again for that head of messy eccentric hair ignoring her incessant chatter. He caught sight of Balto across the room.

Balto looked absolutely wretched sitting by himself not even pretending to poke to food on his tray around. His disconcerting golden eyes shifting around nervously watching the cafeteria traffic and bustle. He looked rather pale considering how tan he first appeared to be. His skin had taken on a rather unnatural unhealthy sheen. Mercifully Balto had managed to semi correct his uniform so it did not look as uncouth. His hair was still an unrelenting mess. One could only improve so much in a short time.

"I heard he's a runner." Star stated happily. "He's got a ton of trophy's from his last school, but he was only as average student."

"He's gonna have a hard time joining our time no matter how good he is, he doesn't have the right blood lines." Kaltag said matter of factly digging into his food.

"I heard he was Mr. Salvatore's love child." Dixie said conspiratorially. "He's not even technically his heir. He's mother was a maid or something in his father's house and Mr. Salvatore knocked her up and they sent her away because she's a nobody. Mr. Salvatore hasn't been with anyone since. Rumor is he never got over her. Isn't that romantic?"

"He's got average looks average grades and nothing to recommend him besides riding on his daddy's coat tail. Figures all mutts are the same. I wonder why they bothered letting him in here. Twenty bucks say the transfer him out before the school year is up." Nikki managed to say around his food.

"He is a perfectly polite boy, that's rare enough around here so I think that makes him quiet extraordinary." Jenna inserted trying to steer the conversation to a more positive light. "Maybe one of us should invite him over." Jenna said gently having easily followed Steele's lingering gaze to Balto. "He looks so miserable sitting all by himself."

"Invite him over here?!" Dixie's excessively loud voice capturing everybody's attention in the whole half of the side of the cafeteria they were on. Steele wouldn't have been surprised if Balto was unfortunate enough to hear it and guess what they were discussing. Steele looked back over to the distraught looking boy to find his golden eyes looking earnestly their way. The slight wince took Steele's theory of how far Dixie's obnoxious could carry to new heights. Balto met Steele's eyes briefly before quickly looking away.

"Dixie!" Jenna said sharply. "There is no reason we can't be nice."

"He's a mutt! That's worse than consorting with the lower familys! That would be complete social suicide!" Dixie shouted her voice growing steadily louder in her righteous indignation. "I don't understand why he is even here! And I definitely don't understand why you would want to be friends with him!"

Balto stood up so fast his chair fell over behind him as he rushed from the room cutting Dixie's tirade off. Runner. Only cowards ran from their problems and fear. Steele sneered at the boys back. Weak. The boy had proven that he was weak and forgettable. He did not belong here.

"Dixie." Jenna's voice took a threatening edge. "That was mean. He hasn't done anything to you. You need to say you're sorry."

"Sorry for what? Telling the truth?" Nikki scoffed.

"He needs to grow a thicker skin if he thinks he's going to try to belong here." Sylvie said rolling her eyes. "I mean really it's so obviously doesn't belong. What does he expect?

Kaltag watched the scene around him unfolding thoughtfully chewing but wisely keeping his opinions to himself. Star eyes widening as he watched the spat around him. Steele tuned them out already knowing how this was going to end. Jenna would get mad in her defense of the clear underdog. Dixie would defend herself and get mad Jenna was angry at her for saying in what Dixie's eyes was only the truth. Nikki would naturally be on Dixie's side as would Sylvie. Kaltag would remain neutral as long as he possibly could before joining Dixie's side because Kaltag was many things, unprejudiced was not one of them. Star would fret and whine and eventually become too hard to wheedle an opinion from to be worth while and would be forgotten. And Steele would adamantly stay out of it.

They could argue as much as they wanted but Steele's mind was irrevocably made up. Balto did not belong.


	2. Close to the Edge

Balto picked up his medicine bottle and looked at the pills longer than was probably healthy. He thought of doing something that was definitely not healthy. He took the prescribed douse and put the bottle down resolutely. Even desperate he wasn't stupid. He could overdouse and maybe it'd work, maybe they wouldn't get to him in time and maybe he'd die. But that was too much maybe. Because maybe it wouldn't work and he'd live. And then he'd be back here in the same pointless situation with no way out and more security.

Besides he knew the butler would count the pills as soon as he left the bathroom. Pointless. It was all pointless. One way or another he'd end up back here. No matter what he did they wouldn't let him go home. He'd be stuck here until they decided it was worthless and then maybe, maybe they'd let him go home.

Nava Salvatore had made it abundantly clear he wanted Balto here even less than Balto wanted to be here. Which was quiet extraordinary in Balto's mind. To Nava this was just business he had no interest in trying to be a family, no interest in even being civil to one other. It was only temporary pending on finding a better solution. Balto's presence here was only a precaution in case a better solution was not forth coming in a timely way. A means to an end in case another more suitable heir couldn't be found or produced.

Balto understood the logic behind his unwilling presence here. But logic didn't stop the panic at being uprooted from his warm loving family with his uncle Boris to be dragged here in a cold lifeless house where he was just a bargaining chip, a back-up plan. And one easily removed and discarded when his use ran out at that.

Balto shuddered as he slide into an anxiety attack the familiarity of the attack was a strange comfort in this lifeless place. Balto let his fears his insecurities wash over him easily overwhelming him until there was nothing left but despair. He listened to the voice in his head the one that whispered dark things with honey dripped words promising a better, happier place if Balto followed. A place with no fear and no pain. A place Balto knew the voice was lying about. He let the voice echo around him providing sweet release, a kind distraction to his fear riddled mind.

He felt the panic slowly fade away leaving him no clue of the time that passed. When he opened his eyes vaguely aware he had no memory of closing them or of sliding to the floor. He looked around the spotless sterile bathroom and never felt so alone. Usually somebody found him when he had an attack. Somebody cared, but in this great big house nobody did. He missed his old pleasantly cramped room with his cousins. Balto missed his odd little family that loved him.

Balto glanced at the clock and panic for an entirely different reason. He was going to be late for his first day at his new school. He jumped up stumbling into the wall in his haste. He dived into his closet and ripped the school uniform off the hanger and violently slammed it onto his body. The pants wouldn't stay up and extra material gathered around his shoes. He pulled the first belt he saw from his unwashed jeans laying on the floor and pulled it hurriedly through the loops provided on the black school issued pants. He buttoned the white shirt quickly before pushing his feet into his favorite pair of converse. The butlers voice stopped his clumsy attempts to tuck in his shirt as he jumped down the stairs in a mad dash to the door. The butler kept his verbal opinions of Balto's appearance to himself but didn't bother to hide his judgmental eyebrow raise or the slight sneer on his lips.

The drive to school was a silent one as Balto gazed out the window, looking without really seeing his surroundings. Balto focused on his breathing trying to not slide into another anxiety attack, afraid Nava would still make him go. In and out, in and out, in and out, the breath slipping out faster and faster making air harder and harder to come making the world seem like it closing in on Balto trying to snuff him out.

"Mr. Salvatore." The Butler's voice rang too loud in Balto's head. Balto's eyes darted to the Butlers wide and gasping for breath. Balto hadn't even noticed the car stopping. The space in the spacious back seat feeling smaller and smaller. "Balto breathe, let the breath out. That's it now breathe in. You're going to be fine. I want you to close your eyes and focus on just your breath. Don't think about today or tomorrow or anything else. Empty your mind and just focus on breathing in and out." The butler's voice took a calming tone and Balto found himself listening without question and let the butler's voice wash over him.

"Do I have to go?" Balto rasped letting the fear verbalize itself. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, his hands digging into the leather seats; reaching out to try to find an anchor to hold onto. Balto's body shuddered betraying how scared he was of the answer.

"Yes, Mr. Salvatore was very clear on that sir. I'm sorry."

Balto opened his blurry eyes at the tone of the Butlers voice. The butler truly sounded and looked sorry for the answer he was made to give. The butler fidgeted in the driver seat looking uncomfortable and contrite.

"It's alright. I'm ready to go." Balto whispered in a small voice. The window caught his attention again and he peered out into the day looking for something to distract his already frazzled mind. The moving scenery providing a calming effect to Balto's exhausted psyche.

School proved to be just as strenuous as Balto imagined it would be. The day drug on and on. Balto managed to get lost three times, trip over two different chairs, and fall down taking a chair with him once, all before lunch. Balto was frantic boarding on full blown panic by lunch. Balto was never good at adapting to new places and things and this day was proving to be no exception.

At lunch Balto found a table that was unoccupied and immediately lay claim to the empty spot at the end. He sat watching everyone around him moving and darting around his food long forgotten. He sat pensively quiet his mind far away from where he sat when a loud voice caught his attention.

The owner of the voice was across the room and squawked indignantly at something her tablemate had said. From the furtive glances he was receiving from everyone else at the table Balto got the uncomfortable suspicion they were talking about him. He caught the sharp cold blue eyes of one of the boys he vaguely recognized from some of his class and blanched. There was no longer any doubt to who the table was discussing. The girls shrill voice got louder as she kept going drawing more attention to herself and her words. At the word "mutt" Balto felt sick by the time she demanded to know why he was here Balto bolted.

In another world maybe they would've gotten along, after all they both wanted the answer to the same question. What was Balto doing here?

Balto, after being on the receiving end of those scornful looks all morning, desperately wanted the answer. Wanted to know why this was necessary. He knew he didn't belong here before he graced the front steps. He knew what kind of place this was and who was invited to go here before he was forced into the car that morning. He wasn't ever going to be happy or accepted here that much was clear. This was not where he belonged. This was not where he wanted to be.

Balto wondered over to his new locker feeling lost. Even the lockers felt unfamiliar in this place, the paint was fresh with no graffiti or random art and pictures anywhere to be seen, to give the lockers any character or distinguishing marks from eachother. Balto stared longingly out the window wishing for escape form this place. But he knew he had nowhere to go.

Balto glanced down at his schedule and found the next class to go too. Balto let the rest of the day pass in a confusing blur not trying to maintain focus or trying to understand the concepts and thoughts being taught he let it glide past him until it was time he could leave. If Balto had anything to say about his first day at his new school it was that he survived it.

He stood outside the school not bothering to stop at his locker to trade books or sort out the mess he made moving in, more concerned with getting away and leaving. He fought his way through the crowd panic lurking just beneath the surface of his mind once more at the sight of the end. Balto stood by where the butler dropped him off hoping this was where he would get picked up. He realized he hadn't asked and the butler hadn't specified when or where, or if he even was coming to get Balto. Balto could feel the hysteria building at this new turn of events.

"Balto?" Balto violently flinched so lost in his thoughts and not expecting to be acknowledged much less spoken too in his current location. "Hey, I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." A rather pretty girl with red hair and warm brown eyes said with compassion. She let go of the loose grip she had on Balto's arm. Balto instantly took a step back feeling much safer with space between them. The girl carried on like nothing happened. "My name is Jenna we have one class together." She paused briefly waiting to see recognition but finding nothing other than open fear continued on. "I know you're new and I notice you didn't have anyone to sit with at lunch and you haven't spoken to anyone. I was thinking tomorrow, if you wanted, you could sit with me and my friends. I could show you around some more. This place is pretty big and it's easy to get lost when you're not used to it." Jenna finished with a friendly smile pretending with blinding mercy that she didn't notice Balto slowly inching away from her. She opened her mouth but didn't get a chance to warn the slinking boy of the impending impact that was headed his way.

"So you must be Balto!" A boy yelled into a startled Balto's ear as he viciously attacked his personal space, coercing Balto into a very awkward looking hug. Balto responded in a fight or flight manner. His flight reaction being was easily cut off as his assailant tightened his hold on Balto. Balto spun around into the bulling hug and shoved himself away as hard as he could. Balto's eyes where wide he's breathe heaving and uneven as he stood braced away from the attacker. "Whoa." The boy said in shock and was looking very betrayed. The boy was smaller than Balto and extremely skinny with big brown eyes and light brown hair that was spiked up. It seemed the very notion that someone may not want him in their personal space or to be hugged in such a manner never crossed the energetic boy's mind.

Balto felt like everyone's eyes were on him. The quiet whispers loudening into a deafening roar. Balto knew the paranoid feeling of being all alone was only partly in his head. He looked around frantically for a friend or familiar face; one he knew would not be here. Instead of the friend he was hoping to find Balto found the curious icy blue eyes that screamed judgment and the boy who they belong to looking at him in with a sneer. Balto made no attempts to subtly move away, he turned and ran.

After about twenty minutes of flat out running Balto slowed down to a jog, then a walk, then he stopped altogether. He had no idea where he was or which way he needed to go to get anywhere he wanted to be. Balto looked around the road he found himself at relatively sure it was in the opposite direction of Nava's huge house. He was close to the edge of town, the houses where thinning out and the yards were getting bigger, which edge of town he had no clue.

He took stock of his situation. He must've dropped his back pack somewhere, probably at the school when he shoved Star away, and his wallet and more importantly his phone were in the bag. He kicked a rock by his foot feeling lost, an emotion that seemed to be the theme of his day. He started walking back the way he came hoping to stumble onto the right road to Nava's place. Or at least some place with a phone he could borrow then he could call his uncle Boris and beg him to come get him and take him home. The walk took forever nothing looked the least bit recognizable.

"Hey Balto." The deep rich voice of the butler, which should have been a welcome sound, only left Balto feeling emptier. "Where have you been?" the butler's voice had an edge of impatient worry, the kind of edge that warned no matter what answer was offered it was not going to be good enough.

"I went for a run." Balto managed to choke out. The panic and fear of being found by the wrong person coming forward sharply in Balto's overwhelmed mind. He was going to have to go back to that cold lifeless house where he meant nothing and nobody loved him. His uncle Boris was not going to come and save him today, he got lost but not lost enough.

"I see. In the future it would be best if you waited to run until after I picked you up from school." The butler said leading Balto to the car and opening the rear door for him to climb in.

Balto peered out the window seeing nothing but bleary shapes as he tried not to fall apart again. He walked into the house ignoring the butler's small talk and polite inquires about his day. He walked past the snack the cook left out and up the stairs to his room. He walked into his bathroom and stared at the bottle of meds on the counter.

Balto let time slip around him until he heard the butler call him for dinner. Dinner he had been told upon arriving at this house were non-negotiationable affairs. He took a deep breath and prepared as much as he mentally could. But there was only so much one fatigued mind could prepare against the harsh verbal assault that was Nava's idea of conversation.

"Took you long enough." Was Nava's only acknowledgement of Balto's presence. Balto quickly found his seat and sat down. Nava more or less ignored Balto during the duration of the meal, too busy reading some important looking files. Balto ate quiet well having skipped breakfast and lunch. On top of the unplanned run, it left Balto very famished indeed.

"I trust you made friends at school." Nava's statement came out sounding like a demand.

"Not really." Balto whispered too afraid of not answering to dare not respond.

"Your uncle Boris said you're quite the runner. You should join the running team." Again Nava's tone was demanding.

Balto nodded demurely his hands started to shake. He already knew what a challenge that was going to be. Balto had no illusions that being on the running team at this school had anything to do with skill. The sense of overwhelming fear was coming back fast.

"Finish your food Balto."

Balto made short work of what was on his plate anxious to get away from Nava and his never ending demands. Balto bolted up to his room as soon as a chance presented itself and hide himself away. Had he known he was not the only teen desperate to get away from his pushy father that night, and that Steele Summers was facing a similar predicament on the other side of town, maybe Balto wouldn't have felt so alone.

As the night carried on to its closure and the time got closer to the new day, Balto remembered his errant back pack and missing homework. He thought of his math assignment and English assignment and started to melt down again. He was going to have to find his backpack, he had at least half of his school books jammed in it and all his assignments for the next week written down in his notebook.

"Balto there's a young gentleman at the door for you. A Mr. Steele Summers is here to see you." The butlers voice floated from the other side of Balto's door.

Balto stood up grateful for the distraction and walked down the stair to the living room. As he got closer to his destination he started to feel nervous for all he knew Steele was that over friendly boy that jumped him after school. Or the bulldog looking one that called him a mutt. The more Balto tried to puzzle out who Steele was, the less he wanted to finish walking down the stairs and into the living room, now completely terrified of who would be standing there to meet him.

"I'll be sure to tell my father you sent your regards." A deeply masculine voice said. The owner of the voice had his back towards the door so all Balto could see was he very black shaggy hair. Balto was so relieved that this was not the boy who put him down verbally, or the one who had no personal space, he forgot to be scared and was now very curious. Because that black hair looked startlingly familiar. So consumed with trying to figure out where he'd seen that perfect black hair before Balto lost his footing by the door and slid into the door frame making a small thumping noise.

"Ah and here's Balto now." Nava said motioning toward the door with poorly concealed contempt in his voice.

The boy turned around and Balto was met with the sharpest, coldest, most condescending icy blue eyes he'd ever seen. And strangely Balto kinda wished it had been the boy with no personal space instead.


	3. No Answers

Steele was annoyed. The bumbling teacher arrived ten minutes late to the last class of the day and had five minutes to wrap up the lesson and the end appeared nowhere in sight. The teacher glanced at the time and sped up the rate the information was leaving his mouth but did not appear to be trying to shorten the lesson in anyway. At two minutes to the bell Steele started packing up his books. The bell rang and the teacher had no hope of keeping the classes attention. Steele stood to leave as the teacher was shouting last minute instructions over the noise of the students getting ready to dash out.

Steele walked out of the building after switching out books in his locker and was right on time to be picked up. He glanced around as he noticed Jenna talking to the new boy, Balto the mutt. He watched as Balto scouted further away from the friendly gentle girl. Steele watched with thinly veiled interest as Star all but pranced up behind Balto. The clear intent to hug written all over Star's gangly form. Steele winced from sympathy as Star attacked, his arms wrapped around Balto's slightly larger form trapping him in a death grip with no warning. Steele had the misfortune of being on the other side of that particular maneuver before.

Balto struggled to free himself and Steele took an unconscious step towards him wanting to… wanting something. Star was deceptively strong for his tiny frame and held on like a bulldog. Stars grip was razor tight and absolute. Star's friendliness belied his inner strength, his overwhelming, compulsive disposition people often did not see until it was too late to escape.

Balto managed to shake him. Steele relaxed content to watch the unfolding events from a safe distance. Star looked utterly crushed obviously taking the rejection very much to heart. Jenna was saying something that Steele was positive Balto was not hearing. Balto's expression bypassed uncertainty and flew into full blown panic as their eyes met. Balto spun around and ran. And boy could he run. Steele watched him mesmerized. Balto's panicked fumbling attempts to escape earlier had nothing on his run. Steele fought the urge to run after him, to see if he could catch up or if Balto would present him with a challenge.

Star's wail of wordless heartbreak captured Steele's absent attention.

"I just wanted to be friends." Star sobbed on Jenna's shoulder, presenting a rather awkward looking picture as Star had to lean down to reach Jenna's shoulder. Star locked his arms around Jenna as if desperately trying to erase the memory of being shoved away. He continued his uncontrollable blubbering. Jenna being the sweet girl she was hushed him softly and held him saying comforting things into his hair.

Steele debated for a minute before reaching a definite course of action. Steele walked over to his weepy friend. Steele noticed an extra backpack laying on the sidewalk where Balto must've dropped it after Star had startled him. Steele picked it up casually.

" This is Balto's, right?" Steele asked more to distract Star from his sulking than anything else.

Star stood up from his hunched position on Jenna's shoulder. "Yeesss." He whimpered his red eyes puffy and swollen as tears kept trailing down his blotchy face. "He's going to need it! How do we find him? He won't want to see me!" Star began to fret a new set of hysterics coming on as his worry for Balto's wellbeing clashed with his own hurt feelings.

"I can take it to the school office. He can get it tomorrow Star. It'll be okay." Jenna offered in a consoling gentle voice as she slowly continued to rock her friend trying to calm him.

"I can take it to his house." Steele said gripping the bag tighter. The bag in question was very heavy. Steele wouldn't have been shocked if Balto had managed to cram all his school books into the poor unassuming bag.

"He told you where he lives?" Star demanded indignantly, forgetting to cry in his disbelief.

"No. But my father would know where his business partner resides." Steele supplied, not feeling particularly like explaining himself, but knowing Star was not about to let him leave without some form of explanation.

"I think that must be Balto's butler looking for him." Jenna broke in cutting Star off from grilling Steele for more answers. Steel spared Jenna a grateful look, the girl had superb timing. Steele looked over in the direction Jenna's gaze was facing. Indeed there was a black limo, with a driver Steele had never seen at this school before, by the curb. The driver was looking around in a somewhat worried anxious manner. The driver climbed out of the vehicle as he scanned the crowd of exiting students.

"Excuse me sir." Jenna spoke up over the noise. Jenna unwound herself from Stars hug and grabbed his hand dragging him with her as she moved closer to the butler.

Steele looked at the backpack in thoughtfully. He could give it up to the butler or he could keep it and deliver it himself. A curiosity had taken root in Steele's being. A deep seated need to know more about the strange boy driving his actions. He glanced at Jenna, Star and the butler. Jenna was gesturing in the direction Balto took off in. Steele mad his move. He walked over to his waiting limo and quickly got in dragging Balto's heavy bag with him.

Steele did some fast calculations in his head. Balto's driver showed up around seven minutes after Balto ran. If the driver found Balto in a timely way and got him home around four then Steele could drop the bag off before supper with his family at six and he's have enough time to spend with Balto to try to figure the boy out. But if Balto got lost or proved hard to find he might arrive home later than four. Steele would need to leave Balto's house no later than five thirty to get home for his family engagement.

No, it'd be best to drop the bag off after supper. That would give him more time and Balto was sure to be home by then so Steele wouldn't get stuck waiting around for him. Mind made up Steele proceeded to follow his afternoon schedule upon returning home. He ran for five miles after changing from his uniform. After his run he showered and then got going on his school work. He was called for supper at six on the dot.

Steele was an only child. He had no opinions on the matter of siblings seeing as he'd never had any to know if he liked it better or worse than being alone. The only thing Steele did have an opinion on was the more he was around his father the less he liked the man. Steele was rather fond of his mother. Even if he never could understand what she ever saw in his father. Obviously money was a factor in their union. But Steele firmly believed his mother to be the kind of genuine beauty she could've gotten a much better deal. His mother possessed the deepest raven colored hair and the clearest clue eyes he's ever seen. His mother's eyes were as warm as his were cold. She was elegant and graceful. His mother was sweet but she spoke the truth with a unique kindness when others would only flatter. Her kindness was her greatest strength and fault. She was too kind to give up on anyone, even if it was hopeless. Her kindness too gentle to crush someone else's dream, even if it was an impossible one. She was all around the perfect blueblood bride.

Steele often wondered how his mother felt about only having one child. He wondered if she ever looked around at the huge oak table that could easily sit sixteen people and if it felt empty to her with just the three of them. When Steele came home from school he came home to his mother. His mother was alone in the house by herself all day. He wondered if the silence screamed at her the way it echoed in Steele's head.

"Did you see Nova's son?" Mr. Summers asked breaking the silence that defined the Summers family. They may have all shared the same living space and ate together but they all lead very separate individual lives that only crossed briefly.

"Yes."

"Unfortunate history there, but it seems to have worked out in the end. With Nova's father's health on the decline it became necessary they think about the future of their company." Steele's mother hummed in response, a noise she often made in return to Mr. Summers one-sided conversations.

Steele started to pick apart the food on his plate.

"Has Nova's son made any friends?" Mr. Summers continued. Steele's eye twitched perfectly aware where his father was going to take this.

"Not really."

"Well then you should invite him over. It wouldn't hurt to make good with Nova even if they end up with a different heir."

Steel heard what his father meant by "different". He meant better, more acceptable blueblood heir. Steele had no doubt the details of Balto's unfortunate first day had reached his father's ears.

"Hm." Steele took a leaf from his mothers' book and answered vocally not verbally. But that seemed like more than enough to appease his father. Mr. Summers clearly hearing it as an affirmative answer to his idea. That someone would not follow through with his wishes was not an idea Mr. Summers was prepared to deal with.

Steele decided on the spot to not admit anything about Balto's backpack. Steele wanted to do this on his terms. Supper was finished in a timely way the silence descended once more.

Steele announced he was going out for a minute a safe time after supper. Steele grabbed Balto's bag and headed for his car. The car was one his dad bought him that was hardly ever used because they had a driver. Steele slung the bad into the passenger seat and backed out of the garage and drove out of the preciously long driveway.

Steele drove for about fifteen minutes to the Salvatore residency, a house he knew the location of because he'd been there numerous times before. Steels father made sure to introduce Steele to everyone worth knowing and Steele got the tour of all their business partners businesses and houses.

Steele parked by the door in the circle drive outside the pretentious house. He rang the doorbell and waited. The butler Steele saw at the school answered the door.

"Good evening Mr. Summers. How may I assist you?" the man politely inquired his omniscient landing on the backpack.

"I'm here to see Balto, he left his bag at school." Steele replied without making any move to hand the bag over.

"Come in. I'll get him for you." The butler opened the door so Steele could slide through. "I'm sure Mr. Salvatore would be most grateful you took the time to return the bag to him." The reverence in which the butler spoke told Steele the butler was not talking about Balto but his father who would be pleased. The butler was carefully polite shrewd man, one that Steele never quite felt at ease around.

The butler left Steele in the front living space as he went to retrieve Balto from somewhere deeper in the house.

"Ah Steele, what a pleasant surprise. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Mr. Salvatore asked his daunting unmistakable presence filling up the room upon his entrance.

"I'm returning this to Balto." Steele murmured proffering the bag as validity to his presence in the mansion.

"Did he forget it?" Nova's voice and eyes took a dark disappointed edge.

"He was otherwise engaged at the time." Steele found himself lightly defending Balto.

"Well it is kind of you to drop it off." Nova said like a challenge sizing Steele up no gratitude to be found in his tone. " Do tell your father congratulations on the merger."

"I will tell him you sent your regards." Steele was aware of a thud much like the sound of someone running into a wall.

"Ah here's Balto now." The biting disappointment was back with a vengeance in Nova's voice. Steele followed Nova's glower to the boy behind him.

No wonder it sounded like someone hit a wall Balto's appearance made it clear he had. Balto was still dressed sloppily in his school uniform. He looked, if at all possible, even worse for the wear then before.

Steele's eyes narrowed. What was it about Balto that was so interesting? Balto looked even less impressive standing next to his father. If there was one thing that Steele imagined Nava not having time for it would be time for his worthless looking son. Outside of the shape of Balto's body and the oddly colored hair, Nava's hair was a little darker and more normal looking, Balto did not seem to have much in common with his father. The similarities were definitely there but they ended with looks. Personality wise Nava was a force to be reckoned with. He commanded respect, he was efficient and regal. Balto, Balto looked like all it would take was a slight wind and he'd be knocked over.

Balto paled at Steele's open scrutiny. Nova watched the silent exchange clearly having no desire to help his son in anyway.

"Um." Balto fumbled leaning heavily on the door looking wretched.

Steele felt that indescribable emotion he was beginning to relate to Balto welling up again. It was confusing, it made Steele angry. Not much in life could baffle him as effortlessly as Balto apparently could.

"Are you going to invite me to your room?" Steele hinted aggressively. He would help Balto out but he wasn't going to be nice about it. Balto nodded vigorously forgoing speech. He turned quickly stumbling a little on his feet but managed to stay upright and mobile. Steele followed him with a much more graceful and refined gate.

Balto appeared to get more and more relaxed the further and further they got away from Nova. Upon reaching what Steele could only assume was Balto's living quarters Balto paused uncomfortably in front of the door, betraying how much he felt like a stranger in Nova's house. Balto appeared to gather his courage and pushed open the door. The room was not too shabby. It was large enough although was clearly one of the smaller ones the mansion housed. It had its own bathroom off the side. The room hosted no personal touches and upon entering Balto paced nervously around like he was looking for an escape route.

"You left your backpack at school. Star is sorry by the way." Steele talked at Balto watching his reactions closely.

"Star?" Balto whispered in a lost way avoiding eye contact.

"The boy with the spiky hair that jumped on you."

"Oh." Balto seemed to shrink in on himself as he abruptly stopped pacing. The urge for Steele to touch Balto grew. The need to just do something, although he couldn't say what.

"Here's your bag." Steele held it out towards Balto as it became clear he wasn't going to reach for it himself without prompting.

"Thank you." Balto breathed, relief washing over his face as a blinding smile took over. Steele momentarily forgot how to breathe.

"I've got to go. I'll see you around." Steele said needing to leave right then. Needing to get away from the odd fluttering in his stomach. He must be sick. That was the only way to explain why his stomach was doing flips.

Balto looked confused. Anger flashed through Steele again. Balto had no right to be confused when he caused these weird sensations in Steele. Steele turned and all but fled the room and the strange boy. Steele felt irritation at the awkward boy how was he doing this? How was he messing with Steele's perfectly constructed life merely by existing?

Steele was too warped up in his own thoughts to notice Balto watching him go.


End file.
